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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary


For Immediate Release July 24, 1997

PRESIDENT CLINTON NOMINATES FOUR TO THE FEDERAL BENCH

The President today nominated Jorge Rangel to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Texas, Frank C. Damrell to serve on the United States District Court for the Eastern District Court of California, Martin J. Jenkins to serve on the United States District Court for the Northern District Court of California, and Charles R. Breyer to the Northern District of California.

Rangel, 49, is a native of Alice, Texas, and now lives in Corpus Christi. He earned his college degree, with honors, from the University of Houston in 1970 and earned his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1973. Since then, Rangel has taught law, worked in private practice, and served on the bench. Rangel was an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Houston during the 1975-76 school year. Thereafter, he returned to private practice. In 1983, Governor Mark White appointed Rangel to a state district court judgeship, where Rangel presided over civil, criminal and domestic relations issues. Rangel returned to private practice in 1985; and he is now a partner in Rangel & Chriss, a three-attorney civil litigation firm in Corpus Christi, Texas. Specializing in personal injury, libel and general media litigation, he has a broad and sophisticated trial and appellate practice.

Damrell, 59, is currently President of the California law firm of Damrell, Nelson, Schrimp, Pallios & Ladine. He received his college degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1961, and his law degree from Yale University in 1964. After law school, he was a Deputy Attorney General for the State of California (1964-66), before becoming Deputy District Attorney for Stanislaus County (1966-68). He then ran his own law office (1968-70), before joining the firms of Damrell & Damrell (1970-76) and Damrell, Damrell & Nelson (1976-90). Since 1990, Damrell has been a partner in the firm of Damrell, Nelson, Schrimp, Pallios & Ladine.

Jenkins, 43, is a judge on the Alameda County Superior Court. A native of California, he graduated from Santa Clara University in 1976 and graduated law school from the University of San Francisco in 1980. After law school, he worked in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office (1980-83), before working as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (1983-85) and in Pacific Bell's legal department (1985-89). He became an Oakland, California municipal court judge in 1989 and an Alameda County judge in 1992.

Breyer, 55, is currently a partner in the California law firm of Coblentz, Cahen, McCabe & Breyer. A native of California, he received his college degree, cum laude, from Harvard College in 1963 and his law degree from the University of California, Boalt Hall in 1966. After law school, he was a law clerk to the Honorable Oliver Carter of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California (1966-67), before becoming counsel to the Legal Aid Society of San Francisco (1967). In 1967, he became an Assistant District Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco's District Attorney's Office (1967-73). In succeeding years, he was an Assistant Special Prosecutor for the Watergate Special Prosecution Force (1973-74); an associate and then partner with the law firm of Jacobs, Sills & Coblentz (1974-79); and Chief Assistant District Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco's District Attorney's Office (1979). Breyer has been with Coblentz, Cahen since 1980.

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